Santa Monica Studio's Comic-Con panel was framed around God of War Laufey, but creative director Cory Barlog used it to confirm something bigger: the next Kratos-led God of War comes after Laufey, and it connects directly into her story.
What Barlog actually confirmed
Barlog told the SDCC crowd that Faye's game is not a side story running parallel to the main saga. It is a direct bridge. Everything Laufey sets up, from the Everywhen afterlife to the plans she left behind, feeds into the next chapter starring Kratos. He framed it as continuation and expansion rather than a spin-off: a bigger world built around characters players did not expect to lead a game.
That matters because it changes what kind of game Laufey is. It is not a curiosity for Faye fans while everyone else waits for Kratos. It is required reading if you want the next Ghost of Sparta chapter to make sense on day one.
Why you should not skip Laufey
The Everywhen setup is the connective tissue. Faye wakes in the afterlife of the gods after her funeral and has to protect the plans she left for Kratos and Atreus. Barlog's SDCC comments confirm those plans are not background flavor. They are the on-ramp into the next Kratos story, which means playing Laufey blind before the sequel drops you into context you already should have.
Companions carry over the emotional throughline. Phranque, voiced by Jack Quaid, and Rue, voiced by Perlina Lau, have been part of the Laufey pitch since its reveal. Christopher Judge still appears as Kratos in key moments, and Deborah Ann Woll leads as Laufey herself. Barlog has said telling Faye's story has been a long-standing goal of the Norse saga, not a late addition bolted on to justify a spin-off.
The director is new, and that is deliberate. Ariel Lawrence is directing Laufey. A new director on a bridge game is usually a sign the studio wants a distinct voice for this chapter before Barlog's team returns fully to Kratos for what comes next.